Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Alma 37:39-40. 6 Jan 2014

Aloha My Wonderful Family!

Ohh I'm glad you got the card and picture! I really liked it when I saw it and I have a smaller one on my planner cover. :) Being a missionary is amazing.

Well this week has felt like forever long! I flew to O'ahu on Tuesday morning and it's been a hard adjust since. Leaving Kohala and Sister Lauhingoa has been so hard. I feel like this is the first area that I've been the leader and made a difference. I wasn't expecting to leave,but I know there is a reason for all things.

My new companion is Sister Robertson, Samoan girl from the ghetto of LA. She was in Kona before and I've been on exchanges with her. Some people tease her and call her kolohe, meaning like rascal. She's a good missionary and her story of how she grew up I cannot even imagine. When I first got here to Kahala, I was ready to work! It was new years eve and we were suppose to stop pros at 5pm. But we didn't really do anything for our area.

That night we went to a party at a members home on one of the mountains and President Dalton was there! It was so crazy to see him. He was wearing an aloha shirt and his hair was a little longer than I remember. I guess he came for a baptism. It was amazing to see how you could see that the mantle of being the mission president was no longer with him and that it was shining all over President Warner. He's been making a lot of changes to the mission that I know some missionaries aren't very happy with. But then need to be done and it's coming from the Lord. We watched the fire works and then headed home. I seriously cannot believe that it's 2014. Where did the time go!?

New Years Day we were able to get up at 8:30.. Sleeping in? What!? It felt so strange and I'm pretty sure I woke up at 6:30 anyway. We then went to the church and played basketball and volleyball with the other missionaries. As well as watch Ephraim rescue! I thought it was good, but I like 17 miracles better I think.

Thursday was back to pros. We week planned and it was interesting hearing about how the area was doing. I knew it was a more difficult area just because I was here before. But we don't have any progressing investigators and they taught on average about 6 lessons a week. It was hard not to compare that christmas week Sister Lauhingoa and I taught 19 lessons. I know every area is different, but we definitely have some work to do. It was good though cause Sister Robertson then told me that she was ready to work. She said she realized that people think of her as a cruz missionary and she doesn't like that. She wants to work and if she ever gets lazy to whip her into shape. It was good to hear that.

We have had some miracles though, we've gone tracking and found 3 new investigators! We also stopped and talked to these suuuupper rich people who let us come back and do service at their home on Saturday! I tried to invited her to have the missionary lessons, but I don't think she heard me. But they said that we could come back anytime and that we're part of the family now. So we're definitely coming back.

On Saturday we also hiked Diamond Head with a recent convert whose a little older but keeps hiking it because, "if you stop doing it you loose it". She kept saying that the whole time.

I guess I've just had a really hard adjust. I miss the Big Island like crazy and I feel I'm more Kohala trunky when most people would be 'coming home trunky'. I've been trying to snap out of it and focus on where I am at. I also feel this pressure that I know there is a reason for me to be in Kahala. But with that I don't have any time to waste! 5 weeks isn't long and if we're not exactly where we're suppose to be when Heavenly Father wants us to be there. We won't do what he has intended for us to do. I feel like I understand this, but I really don't have very much control over anything because I haven't been in the area and I have to rely oh my companion. I've just been praying for a miracle and to know what is it I'm suppose to do. The scripture I have at the top has become my transfer theme about the Liahona and how it works. I am grateful for the many blessing and experiences I have as a missionary.

I love being a missionary, even if I'm in Kahala. I'd rather be here than doing.. Anything else! Thanks for everything that you do! I love you so much. Have a wonderful week!